To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said: If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples; you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free. They answered, ‘We are descended from Abraham and we have never been the slaves of anyone; what do you mean, “You will be set free?” ‘ Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave. Now a slave has no permanent standing in the household, but a son belongs to it for ever. So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free. I know that you are descended from Abraham; but you want to kill me because my word finds no place in you. What I speak of is what I have seen at my Father’s side, and you too put into action the lessons you have learnt from your father. They repeated, ‘Our father is Abraham.’ Jesus said to them: If you are Abraham’s children, do as Abraham did. As it is, you want to kill me, a man who has told you the truth as I have learnt it from God; that is not what Abraham did. You are doing your father’s work. They replied, ‘We were not born illegitimate, the only father we have is God.’ Jesus answered: If God were your father, you would love me, since I have my origin in God and have come from him; I did not come of my own accord, but he sent me.
The Saint of the day: St Cuthbert of Lindisfame
Ġesù qal lil-Lhud li emmnu fih: “Jekk iżżommu fil-kelma tiegħi, tkunu tassew dixxipli tiegħi, u tagħrfu l-verità u l-verità teħliskom.” Qalulu: “Aħna nisel Abraham, u qatt ma konna lsiera ta’ ħadd. Kif tiġi tgħidilna li nkunu ħielsa?” Weġibhom Ġesù: “Tassew tassew ngħidilkom, li kull min jagħmel id-dnub huwa lsir tad-dnub. U l-ilsir ma jibqax fil-familja għal dejjem; imma l-iben għal dejjem jibqa’. Jekk l-Iben jeħliskom, tkunu tabilħaqq ħielsa. Jiena naf li intom nisel Abraham; madankollu qegħdin tfittxu li toqtluni, għax il-kelma tiegħi ma qabditx l-art fikom. Jiena qiegħed nitkellem fuq dak li rajt għand Missieri, u intom tagħmlu dak li smajtu mingħand missierkom.” Qabżu u qalulu: “Missierna hu Abraham.” Qalilhom Ġesù: “Kieku kontu wlied Abraham, kontu tagħmlu bħalma għamel Abraham. Iżda issa qegħdin tfittxu li toqtlu lili, bniedem li għedtilkom il-verità li smajt mingħand Alla. Dan ma għamlux Abraham. Intom tagħmlu bħalma jagħmel missierkom.” Qalulu: “Aħna m’aħniex ulied iż-żína! Missier wieħed għandna, lil Alla.” Qalilhom Ġesù: “Li kieku Alla kien missierkom, lili kontu tħobbuni, għax jien ħriġt u ġejt mingħand Alla. Għax jien ma ġejtx minn rajja, imma kien hu li bagħatni.
Il-Qaddis tal-jum: San Cuthbert ta’ Lindisfame